Re: Burke Rd (VIC) Crossing

[Reece Isaac <throttle@alphalink.com.au>]

Johann Fan wrote:

> "Chris Gordon" <cmgord@VICSIG.alphalink.com.au> wrote in message
> news:394457CC.D4760B0A@VICSIG.alphalink.com.au...
> > > > > >G'day all
> > > > > >Can anyone please tell me why trains travel so slowly over the
> railway
> > > > > >crossing on Bourke Rd beside the Gardiner station?
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Because they cross Tram Tracks..
> > > >
> > > > The Glenhuntly Rd crossing at Glenhuntly station is the same .... it
> slows
> > > > things down when you are on a Cheltenham - Caulfield express.
> > > > The reason is that the trains are 1500V, while the trams (IIRC) are
> 600V.
> > >
> > > Why would the different voltage slow things down? The two systems are
> > > electrically isolated from each other.
> > >
> > > Surely the reason for crawling through the crossings is either so as the
> > > train pan doesn't snag the overhead (which WOULD be shocking) or might
> > > derail on the crap track, or both.

> It is not due to the over head wires and the pick up systems exclusively!

> > It is the track condition that slows the trains down.  Just stand there
> > and listen to any train crossing and you will hear it.
> >
> > Gardiner, Riversdale, Kooyong and Glenhuntly are all the same, expect
> > Glenhuntly and Kooyong have these new type crossings with rubber and
> > stuff to make it a bit quieter.
>
> Also to reduce vibration cracking the concrete and increase train speed.
> Riversdale and Gardiner are 15km/h over crossing, Kooyong and Glenhuntly are
> 30km/h over the crossing. Kooyong used to be 8km/h up and 15km/h down until
> the re-laid the crossing.

If you ever observe the Long Island steel trains and or the Crib Point change
over you would notice that those loco hauled  trains  traverse at even lower
speeds the the EMUs.  The reason for the slow progress is that the flange ways
for the heavy rail shallow up to the light rail depth and the difficulty of
ensuring that the wheel don't get caught on the intersections and derail as the
intersections are 90 degrees and it isn't possible to provide a check rail in
the correct places.  There was for a short time a different type installed that
allowed a higher speed a Glenhuntly for a time but the speed was reduced again.

Reece